Pheasant Curry

Pheasant Curry

This tasty pheasant curry is a great way of using up pheasant thighs that you often have an abundance of as you head through the season. Its always best to cook the thighs with the bone in, but remember how many there are so that you take the right amount of bones out before serving!!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

8-10 pheasant thighs
2 tblsp oil (rapeseed, olive or veg)

2 tblsp cumin seeds
1 tblsp fennel seed
1 tblsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black pepper corns
6-8 cardamon pods

1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 onions chopped in half
1 inch of peeled root ginger
4 cloves garlic
500ml stock (fresh game is best, but chicken will work too)
1 tsp Pataks madras paste
1tblsp turmeric
2 tsp honey

250g spinach (optional)

Method

Firstly brown off the pheasant thighs in the oil over a medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan. Turn a couple of times so that they get a good colour all over.

Whilst the thighs are browning blitz all of the seeds and peppercorns, but not the cardamon, in a spice blender until you have a course powder. Sprinkle this over the thighs in the pan and continue to cook.

In a food processor add the tin of tomatoes, the halved onions, ginger and garlic cloves and a splash of stock. Blitz until you have runny paste and add to the pan. Then add the rest of the stock, turmeric, cardamon pods, madras paste and honey and give everything a good mix.

Place a lid on you pan and put in an oven at 140’C for 2-3 hours (we always cook this in the baking oven in the Aga) checking every hour or so that the curry hasn’t dried out. If it does look a little dry add a cupful of water.

The curry is ready when the meat is falling off the bones. Pick the bones out and give the curry a good stir. If you are going to add the spinach do so at this stage. Place the lid on the curry and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes so that spinach wilts. Again stir everything together and serve with rice and home made flat breads. Enjoy!!